Apple has released a small bug fix and security update for its platforms, but they’re worth downloading.

iOS/iPadOS 15.5 – Podcasts, Direct payments, and Home Automations

The big note for both iPhones and iPads are new features to the built-in Podcasts app. While many podcast aficionados may use apps like Overcast, PocketCasts, or even Spotify, the Apple podcasts app is decent and popular way to get your podcasts. In this case, Apple Podcasts will now let you set a limit on the number of episodes that can be stored for a particular show. When newer ones are downloaded, the app will delete the oldest one in the list to make room for the new one, thus preventing you from having 10 gigs of storage taken up just because you get behind on listening to so many podcasts (I say from experience).

The other big features for iPhones is that you can now enable peer-to-peer payments directly from your Apple Cash. Previously you could store money on the Apple Cash virtual card for use in stores and terminals, but you couldn’t pay your friend or roommate with money from that card directly (instead having to pay it from a debit card tied to your Wallet). Now if you have money on your Apple Cash card, you can now select that as an option to pay to an individual or friend directly.

Lastly there are a number of security fixes and a bug fix for location based Home automations.

Full patch notes for iPad and iOS are as follows

iPhone

iOS 15.5 includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

• Wallet now enables Apple Cash customers to send and request money from their Apple Cash card
• Apple Podcasts includes a new setting to limit episodes stored on your iPhone and automatically delete older ones
• Fixes an issue where home automations, triggered by people arriving or leaving, may fail

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

iPad

iPadOS 15.5 includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

• Apple Podcasts includes a new setting to limit episodes stored on your iPad and automatically delete older ones

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Mac OS Monterey 12.4 – Studio Display Firmware Updater…Also Podcasts

A small update for Monterey this time, unless you’re a Studio Display user. Like it’s iOS cousins, Monterey is getting the new Podcasts functionality to set a limit to the number of episodes downloaded onto your device.

If you’re a Studio Display user, then you can now download the Studio Display Firmware Update 15.5 after you’ve installed this update.

Full patch notes are as follows:

macOS Monterey 12.4 includes enhancements to Apple Podcasts and bug fixes:

• Apple Podcasts includes a new setting to limit episodes stored on your Mac and automatically delete older ones
• Support for Studio Display Firmware Update 15.5, available as a separate update, refines camera tuning, including improved noise reduction, contrast, and framing

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

WatchOS 8.6 – Health Features for Mexico

If you’re a user of the Apple Watch living in Mexico, you’ll be happy to know you’re the latest to get the Apple Watch’s ECG and irregular heart rhythm notifications. Everyone else should download it anyway for the bug fixes and security patches.

Full patches notes are as follows:

watchOS 8.6 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including:

• Support for the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later in Mexico
• Support for irregular heart rhythm notifications in Mexico

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/HT201222

Apple TV and HomePod- Continue to become more stable:

Once again the Apple TV and HomePod updates are surprisingly mum on what’s changed other than “bug fixes” and “security fixes”. If this changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Other Notes:

Catalina and Big Sur got their respective security fixes with 2022-04 and 11.6.6 respectively. It’s worth noting that these are some major security updates too. Monterey alone got just shy of 50 security fixes including ones fixing potential tracking in Safari’s private mode, a number of graphics fixes for Intel, AMD, and Apple’s own chips, and a security fix to the built-in Software Updater feature itself. Apple is becoming more and more of a target, and with its shared code bases systems that may have had little relation may now be impacted by the same bugs.